1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for releasing a transceiver fixed in a housing via a connection from the housing. More specifically, the present invention relates to small form factor pluggable optical transceivers which can be releasably locked within a housing and can be released via an external connection having first and second releasing means for causing the transceiver to be released.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art involves so-called “transceivers,” i.e., combinations of a transmitter and a receiver configured as a structural unit. Optical transceivers are especially familiar, which transfer light injected by optical waveguides into an electrical signal and/or transfer a received electrical signal into light, which can be extracted by optical waveguides. The known transceivers are often pluggable in design and so have the benefit of being quickly and easily replaced from the device, depending on the application, and thus can be adapted to the requirements, to especially the optical relations such as diameter of the optical waveguide or cable length.
Moreover, so-called SFP (small form-factor pluggable) transceivers are known, being distinguished by their small size. SFP transceivers are known that have an LC plug (a small form factor optical connector) for the optical connections and printed circuit edge contacts for the electrical connection. Such transceivers have a rectangular housing, which after being inserted are locked in a metal cage mounted on a circuit board. To loosen the locking, the transceivers have a strap, a stirrup or a lever, and when the strap, the stirrup or the lever is operated, the locking is released and the transceiver can be pulled out from the appliance on the strap, the stirrup or the lever. One such transceiver is found, for example, in WO2007/022207 A2.
When known transceivers are supposed to be used in appliances that are dust or water proof, the transceivers have to be mounted through an appropriately sealed passageway in the appliance housing. To replace the transceiver, the appliance housing has to be opened. WO2007/022207 A2 discloses a transceiver which can also be released from the housing from the outside. But the transceiver described there also has a lever, a stirrup or a strap on which it can be pulled out from the appliance. Such a transceiver with a lever, a stirrup or a strap has a large size, however, so that it cannot be used with known protective housings for LC plugs in appliances that are supposed to be dust or waterproof.
Therefore, the problem to be solved is to make it possible to release a transceiver locked in a housing from outside the device, where in particular a small size of the transceiver should be made possible.
What is not appreciated by the prior art is that transceivers having a lever, a stirrup or a strap as described hereinabove are of a relatively large size, however, so that they cannot be used with known protective housings for LC plugs in appliances that are supposed to be dust or water proof.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device for releasing a transceiver fixed in a housing via a connection from the housing.